Ocean in Enceladus enhances the case for Panspermia

Chandra Wickramasinghe; Milton Wainwright; Gensuke Tokoro; Richard B. Hoover

doi:10.1117/12.2222098

28 September 2015 Ocean in Enceladus enhances the case for Panspermia

Chandra Wickramasinghe, Milton Wainwright, Gensuke Tokoro, Richard B. Hoover

Proceedings Volume 9606, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology XVII; 96061R (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2222098
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The recently announced confirmation of a global ocean beneath the icy outer shell of the Saturnian moon Enceladus provides strong support for cometary panspermia. Recent discoveries have shown that cyanobacteria, diatoms and other photosynthetic microphytoplankton live in the deep, dark bathysphere of the terrestrial oceans. Evidence for liquid water regimes that might harbour life and organics on other icy moons, comets and Pluto adds credence to the concept of a single connected microbial biosphere in the solar system. These discoveries provide additional support for the possibility that life may be widely distributed throughout the distant regions of the Solar System and the validity of the hypothesis of Panspermia.

Citation Download Citation

Chandra Wickramasinghe, Milton Wainwright, Gensuke Tokoro, and Richard B. Hoover "Ocean in Enceladus enhances the case for Panspermia", Proc. SPIE 9606, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology XVII, 96061R (28 September 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2222098

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available